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To judge by the sharpness and spirit of his fatyr, you might be led into another mistake, and imagine him an ill-natured man: but what my lord Rochester said of lord Dorset, is as ap. plicable to him-The best good man, with the worft-natur'd Mufe. As pointed and fevere as he is in his writings, in his temper he has all the foftness of the tendereft difpofition; gentle and inoffenfive to every man in his particular character; he only attacks vice as a publick enemy, compaffionating the wound he is under a neceffity to probe, or grieving like a good-natured conqueror at the occafions that provoke him to make fuch havock.

King Charles the Second, a nice difcerner of men, and himself a man of wit, often chofe him for a companion at his leifure hours, as Auguftus did Horace, and had very advantageous views for him; but, unluckily, an amorous inclination interfered, the lover got the better of the coartier, and ambition fell a facrifice to love, the predominant paffion of the nobleft minds.

In the fubfequent reign, it was his misfortune to fall under the lafh of merciless creditors: he was arrested, and put in prifon; the king him-. felf condefcended to inquire into the state of his debts, paid them, and releafed him. An action worthy of a monarch.

In the turn of times which has fince happened, it is not for want of friends, or powerful folicitations, that he remains in obfcurity; he can never forget the generosity of that unfor tunate prince; and as in another reign he chose to be a victim to love, he now chufes to be a facrifice to gratitude. I give you these instances, to fhew him to you as lovely in his nature as in his poetical productions.

There are who object to his verfification: it is certain he is no maler of numbers; but a diamond is not lefs a diamond, for not being polifhed. In poetry, a fmooth and harmonious verfification is the fame with a fine colouring in painting; but if the proportions are right, the posture juft, the figure bold, and the refemblances true to nature, fuch a piece may give in

finite delight, and be of inestimable value, tho' the colours fhould happen to be rough or carelefsly laid on. A beautiful face may charm, without the help of complexion; but the fairest skin, with all its lilies and rofes, makes uglinefs but more remarkable. Where juftness is wanting in the defign, and spirit in the execution, the finest colouring Art can invent is but paint upon a frightful face: yet many of our modern writers look no farther; they lay the whole ftrefs of their endeavours upon the harmony of words; like eunuchs, they facrifice their manhood to at voice, and reduce poetry, like echo, to be nothing but found.

In my friend, every syllable, every thought, is mafculine his Mufe is not led forth as to a review, but as to a battle; not adorned for parade, but execution; he would be tried by the fharpness of his blade, and not by the finery: like your heroes of antiquity, he charges in iron, and seems to defpife all ornament but intrinfick merit.

Con

Congreve is your familiar acquaintance; you may judge of Wycherley by him: they have the fame manly way of thinking and writing, the fame candour, modefty, humanity, and inte- · grity of manners: it is impoffible not to love them for their own fakes, abstracted from the merit of their works.

In fhort, Sir, I'll have you judge for yourfelf: I am not fatisfied with this imperfect fketch name your day, and I will bring you together; I fhall have both your thanks. Let it be at my lodging. I can give you no Falernum that has out-lived twenty confulfhips, but I can promise you a bottle of good old Claret that has feen two reigns: Horatian wit will not be wanting when you two meet. He fhall bring with him, if you will, a young poet, newly inspired, in the neighbourhood of CoopersHill, whom he and Walsh have taken under their wing; his name is Pope: he is not above feventeen or eighteen years of age, and promifes miracles. If he goes on as he has begun, in the paftoral way, as Virgil first tried his strength,

ftrength, we may hope to fee English poetry vie with the Roman, and this Swan of Windfor fing as fweetly as the Mantuan. I expect your answer.

Dear Harry, Adieu, &c.

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